USF Sarasota-Manatee to host forum in conjunction with the Ringling International Arts Festival discussing the future of the arts on Florida’s Gulf Coast

SARASOTA, FL (October 5, 2009) – This Saturday, Oct. 10, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s Institute for Public Policy and Leadership (IPPL) will host a discussion on the role Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast will play in the international artistic landscape of the 21st century.

In conjunction with the Ringling International Arts Festival, the discussion, entitled “From Gilded Age to Cutting Edge: The Future of the Arts on Florida’s Gulf Coast,” will feature luminaries from the arts community at the local, state, and national level.

The forum will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Historic Asolo Theater at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  A breakfast reception will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Treviso Restaurant in the Ringling Museum.

Panelists for the forum include:

• Stanford Makishi, executive director of the Baryshnikov Arts Center
• Sally McRorie, dean and professor of the College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance at Florida State University
• Michael Donald Edwards, producing artistic director of the Asolo Repertory Theatre
• Susan Danis, executive director of the Sarasota Opera
• Joseph McKenna, president and CEO of the Sarasota Orchestra

The program will be co-moderated by Bonnie Greenball, JD, associate director of IPPL and Russell Gant, director of Classical Music at WUSF.

“In connection with our ongoing efforts to stimulate creative thinking and community dialogue, we are delighted to present this timely and pertinent discussion of the significance of the arts to our local culture, economy, and quality of life,” said Greenball.  “This ground-breaking world class arts festival and the events surrounding it have untold benefits for our thriving arts community.”

The Ringling International Arts Festival will take place throughout the Ringling Museum of Art’s 66-acre waterfront cultural estate on Sarasota Bay, October 7-11.

The forum is jointly sponsored by IPPL, the Ringling Museum of Art, and WUSF broadcasting.

Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.  To order a ticket, please call the Festival Box Office at (941) 360-7399.